Assignment 1: 3D printing
By Carolina Aguirre and Carolina Miro
In order to take advantage of the unique possibilities of the printer, the brick assignment, although based on a simple object, challenged us to think in 3D. An organic design was chosen to contrast the rather planar geometrical constraints. The aim was to create a fluid structure that was both structurally sound as well as able to be connected with the other bricks.
The design of the brick consists of two central pillars which carry both the top and the bottom anchorage points, and a series of interwoven pipes of changing diameter.
First these pipes were produced by drawing a spline reaching over the full diagonal of the block. Then, a pipe with varying diameter was created around it. Next, this pipe design was mirrored and overlaid creating a net which ran through the internal space of the brick and reaching into its corners. Once all the pipes had been made, the two core elements needed to be made and the whole lot connected.
The core elements were designed symmetrically, including the top and bottom anchorage points. These anchorage points were used as starting points, first a spline was created after which it was revolved around the elements axis. Finally, the anchorage spaces were hollowed out by trimming the intersecting object.
Once the design was completed, the rhino file was exported and printed.
